Paper fastener



Oct. 26, 1943. LAWSON 2,333,016

PAPER FASTENER Filed Jan. 13; 1943 Patented Oct. 26, 1943 UNITED STATESPATEN T OFFICE 2,333,016 PAPER. FASTENER 7 Herbert D. Lawson,Washington, D. 0. Application January 13, 1943, Serial No. 472,241

This invention relates to paper fasteners of the type utilizing spacedbendable fingers extended from a base and insertable through spacedopenings in sheetsof paper or the like to be held together. In knownstructures the fingers are also extended through clamping plates andafter being bent down or foldedonto the plates, are secured by slides orlike fasteners usually carried by said plates. Most articles of thisclass have been made of metal. Due to present scarcity of this material,however, various substitutes have been developed but with little successbecause of their fragile nature and/or the difiiculties encountered infastening the re- A further object is to provide a fastener which can beafiixed readily to a backing or supporting sheet, such as a portion of afile wrapper, so that it is thus possible to apply the fastener at anypoint without perforating the sheet to which it is applied. I

A still further object is to provide a fastener which can be producedfrom sheet material without waste of stock. I

Another object is to reinforce the fingers to resist wear and breakage,said fingers, however, being free to fiex sufiiciently to insureconvenient bending wherever desired.

A further object is to secure thetie element to the fastener in anefiicient manner whereby accidental separation thereof is avoided duringordinary use of the fastener.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds the invention consists of certain new and noveldetails of construction and combinations of parts and in certain stepsin the method hereinafter more fully pointed out, it being understoodthat various ch'anges may be made in the construction and methoddisclosed without departing from the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred forms of the invention havebeen shown.

In said drawing 1 Claims. (01. 24-153) Figure 1 is a bottom plan view ofa blank from which the fastener is to be formed.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the tie element applied to the blank,this being the second stagein the method of construction;

Figure 3 illustrates the third step of the method of construction, thefingers beingfolded in part onto the adjacent portions of the tieelement.

Figure 4 is a bottom pleted fastener.

Figure 5 is an enlarged section on line 55, Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a front elevation showing the fingers of the fastener inposition to thread the tie element through papers to be secured, aclamping strip, such as used on the topmost sheet of a fastenedstack ofpapers being shown partly positioned on the fingers.

Figure? is a similar view of the fastener in holding position, sheets ofpaper and the top strip being held thereby. 7

Figure 8 is a bottom plan view of a modified form.

Figure 9 is a'bottom plan view of an attaching tab through which thefingers of the fastener can be threaded.

In manufacturing this fastener a sheet of stock, which can be paper ofproper weight, stiffened fabric or the like, is cut into strips,'one ofwhich is indicated at I. Incisions are formed in the side edges as at 2and longitudinal weakenplan view of the coming lines or scores arepressed into the material along lines preferably parallel extending tothe free ends of the strip from the inner end of the incisions. Thesehave been indicated at 3'. Thus end arms 3' are. provided each of whichhas side portions 4 and 5. A length of cord 6 is placed longitudinallyalong the center of the strip so that its ends will project beyond theends of the arms and this cord is attached to the strip by an adhesive 1which can first be applied to the bottom surface of the strip.

After the cord has been placed, the side portions 5 are folded onto thethereafter the portions 4 also are folded over and compressed, theseportions all being held together by the adhesive. Thus each arm isformed of lapping thicknesses and is in effect a flat tube with a cordextending therethrough.

The fasteners can be shipped flat, together with clamping strips 8 ofstiff paper or like stock having spaced openings to receive the fingers.

In using a fastener in a file wrapper, for example, spaced openings canbe punched through a cord and arms 3, and

portion of the wrapper and the fingers inserted therethrough. Thereafterthe similarly punched papers P and a top strip 8 to be secured, areplaced on the fingers which thus act to thread the ends of the tie cordthrough the openings as indicated in Figure 6. The looped portions ofthe tie cord are then pulled to withdraw the ends of the cord from theopenings after which the cord is drawn taut and tied, as at 9, therebybending the fingers down onto strip 8 and holding them in retainingpositions.

Bending of the fingers can be facilitated by lil pressing transversecreases 4' therein while thefingers are being shaped and compressed.Instead of threading the fingers through spaced openings in the filewrapper or other backin the gummed bottom surface I of the base membercan be afiixed to said backing or, if preferred, the base member It canbe enlarged to provide an attaching tab H as in Figure 8, said tab beingprovided with an adhesive 1 for holding it in place.

Another modification has been shown in Figure 9 wherein an attaching tabI2 is made separate from the base of the fastener but has openings l3for receiving the fingers of the fastener. This tab has an adhesive I4forholding it to a backing sheet or the like.

What is claimed is: r

1. A fastener for holding together paper sheets or the like including abase member, fingers ex tending therefrom for insertion through spacedapertures in superposed sheets of material to be fastened together, andtie devices extended from said fingers. v

2. A fastener for holding together superposed paper sheets or the likehaving spaced openings, which includes a base member, tie devicesconnected to said member, and: bendable means on said member forthrusting; said devices through the openings. V g l 3. A fastener forholding. together superposed sheets or the like having spaced openings,including a base member, bendable fingers thereon positioned forinsertion through the respective openings, and tie devices-extendingfrom the free ends of the fingers. I

4. A fastenerfor holding together superposed paper sheets or the likehaving spaced openings, including a base member, bendable fingersthereon positioned for insertion through the respective openings, andtie devices extending from and secured to the fingers, saidfingerconstituting means for thrusting the" devices through the openings.

5. A fastener for holding together superposed sheetsof paper or the likeincluding a base member, bendable fingers extending therefrom, amarginal stiffening fold on each finger, and a tie device secured to andextending from each finger.

6. A fastener for holding together superposed sheets of paper or thelike including a base member, substantially flat tubular fingersextending said fingers having transversely weakened portions tofacilitate bending.

9. A fastener for holding together superposed sheets of paper or thelike having spaced openings, including a base, fingers extendedtherefrom each including lapping thicknesses of material, and tiedevices retained between said thicknesses of material and extending fromthe fingers.

10. A fastener of the class described including a base, fingers-integralwith the base includin lapping thicknesses of material and a length oftie material extending along one surface of the base and between andbeyond the thicknesses of the fingers.

11. A fastener including a base, an adhesive on the base, spaced fingersintegral with the base, and a tie device aflixed to the base and fingersand extending beyond the free ends of the fingers.

12. A fastener made of paper stockor the like including a base, fingersintegral with the ends thereof each finger having a lapping portionextending longitudinally thereof, and a cord having a portion heldbetween each finger at its lapping portion andconstituting a tie.

13. A fastener made of paper stockor the like including a base, bendablefingers integral with the ends thereof, and a cord secured along thebottom of the base and along and beyond the free ends of the fingers,said cord constituting a tie.

14. A fastener made of paperstock or the like including an attaching tabhaving an adhesive on one face and spaced apertures, a base, fingersintegral with thebase and extended through the apertures, and-a cordextended along and beyond the fingers to constitute a tie.

15. A' fastenermade of paper stock or the like including an attachingtab having an adhesive on one face and spaced aperturesfabase, fingersintegral with the base and extended through the apertures, a top striphaving spaced apertures through which the fingers are extended, and acord extending along and attached to the fingers andextendingtherebeyond, said cord constituting atie.

16. A fastener made of paper stock orthe like including an attaching tabhaving an adhesive on one face and-spaced apertures, a base, fingersintegral with the baseand extended through the apertures, and a tie cordcarriedby theiree end portion ofv each finger. j

1 HERBERT DQ LAWSON.

